Harley Hitch and the Fossil Mystery by Vashti Hardy & illustrated by George Ermos

January 2023

What could be better for my final review of 2022 than the third book in Vashti Hardy’s brilliant Harley Hitch series?!

This young adventurer is back with her robo-dog Sprocket and they’re ready for anything! She’s as determined as ever to win the coveted school prize – Pupil of the Term. Excitement builds when she has the chance to go on a school trip to the Inventia Jurassic Coast. Fossil hunting, dinosaur footprints and fun with her friends will make this the best school trip ever!

Harley Hitch is destined to go down in history when she invents a time machine to help her find out if what she’s discovered is really from the past. What she doesn’t expect is for incredibly strange visitors to appear in Forgetown. Will she be able to get everyone and everything back to their correct time before it’s too late?

Adventures with the ever-colourful Harley Hitch are the perfect introduction to science fiction. Over and over, Harley proves that anything is possible with a little creativity and determination. Things sometimes go wrong but that’s an important part of learning.

George Ermos’ fantastic illustrations add even more spark to this lively character – especially in her choice of hair colour each term, her arch-enemy Fenelda Spiggot, and the bizarre scrapes Harley finds herself in.

Our family adores Vashti Hardy’s writing. Harley Hitch and the Fossil Mystery is another triumph showcasing Vashti’s ability to turn her hand to a huge variety of stories. Harley Hitch proves that girls can do anything and science is for everyone.

Thank you to Scholastic for this wonderfully fun book!